1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an electronic apparatus for assisting in the recitation of the Catholic Rosary and more particularly to the vocal prompting of a believer in the recitation of prayers.
2. General Background
The Catholic Rosary is a series of repetitious prayers recited in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The prayers consist of a series of ten Hail Mary prayers divided by prayers such as the Lord""s Prayer and Our Father. Meditation is further focused on the Mysteries of Redemption consisting of three series of five verses regarding Jesus and Mary""s Joy, Sorrow, and Gloria described as being the Joyful, Glorious and Sorrowful mysteries.
It is therefore desirable for the believer to combine both the mental meditation and vocalization when saying the prayers.
Due to the complexity and number of prayers involved in saying the Rosary, various apparatuses have been devised for personal use in keeping track of the prayers recited. The most common is the Rosary beads whereby each bead on a string represents a prayer or a number of prayers recited. Such Rosary beads have become more elaborate over the centuries but serve essentially the same function today. More recently attempts have been made to combine electronic visual imaging in combination with a displayed reading of the Rosary prayers such as that disclosed by Stefano Bosmani in U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,622. The apparatus disclosed by Bosmani supposedly provides a means for displaying the Rosary prayers digitally in sequential order on command by pressing a button. In one embodiment a second button is provided for actuating a series of LED lights representing a single repetitive prayer, such as the Hail Mary prayer. LED lights are further disclosed for indicating which of the mystery series of prayers is being displayed at any given time. A buzzer is also provided for emphasizing the most important parts of the prayers. It is also anticipated that a vocal synthesizer may be provided for reciting the messages. However, the Bosmani disclosure is far from clear about precisely how these features are to be integrated and function.
Other electronic Rosary apparatus have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,601,584 and 3,806,911 and Polish patent application number P304, 461. Each of the prior art electronic Rosaries discloses various means for displaying images, verbal prayers, and tracking the number of prayers of the Rosary recited. However, none of the prior electronic Rosary apparatus serves as a prompter by vocally prompting the recitation by reciting a prerecorded first portion of the prayer, thereby eliciting a response from the user to complete the second portion of each prayer required for the Rosary. Further, since meditation is essential in reciting the Rosary, having a large number of people reciting the Rosary simultaneously with buzzers sounding would be distracting to everyone. Being required to read a displayed full text of the prayers while viewing displayed images in precise order would be very time consuming and useless for those with visual or reading problems. Therefore, simply providing an electronic Rosary Prompter having prerecorded prompts though an earphone would be quite beneficial to even the fully initiated Rosary user. It would also be beneficial to have an apparatus that could output the prompt verbally in a non-synthesized manner and in a clear and recognizable voice over a speaker to lead a group in the Rosary Prayers. The user could also utilize such a system by using and earphone for silent prompting without the need to read displayed text or view images. Although speakers associated with Rosary apparatus have been anticipated in the prior art, no provisions have been provided for their incorporation into such devices, nor has the prior art anticipated a means for audibly prompting the user with a truncated portion of the Rosary prayers. Therefore, a more efficient and useful Rosary apparatus for use in prompting the user in reciting the rosary is taught herein.
The invention as taught herein provides an improved hand held apparatus for audibly prompting or teaching, as well as tracking, the recitation of prayers associated with the Rosary. The apparatus provides a highly decorative and compact electronic, battery-powered instrument that may be worn as decoration and held in the user""s hand for easy operation. The apparatus having audio and prayer tracking capability utilizes a plurality of miniature lights clustered around a large centrally located sequencing button. The device is further distinguishable by a decorative cross serving as the power on and reset switch, the cross having lights at each point. A speakers is provided with volume control for use as a group prompt. A remote earplug is also provided for personal meditative use. Selector switches are provided for versatility in selecting types of prayers.
Means has been utilized to conserve power consumption to prolong battery life and thereby reduce operating expense. It is an object of the disclosed apparatus and method of operation to provide an electronic Rosary apparatus that is compact, attractive, and easy to use with maximum coverage of the entire range of Rosary prayers. By simply prompting the user with an abbreviated portion of the prayer, thereby eliciting a response from the user to complete the prayer before continuing stepping through the sequential prayers of the Rosary, the user does not lose track of the recited prayers. If distracted, the user may simply let the device power down at any time, then return to the point of interruption and resume the prayers. However, the user may reset the device at any time and restart the sequence. It is important to note the use of digitally recorded messages preferable by well-known priest and the like. Such messages are played back on a high quality internal speaker in a clear, recognizable manner or transmitted to a remote speaker, such as an earphone.
It is also important to note the disclosed invention as taught herein is a simplified audio prompter with visual tracking and not simply a prayer counter or apparatus only capable of displaying and or audibly reciting the rosary prayers on demand or as related to imaging.